Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-24
THE MILITIA COLONENCY.

Our eSCeemeQ, Dut eXclt0Olo evening con.
temporary, the Inter Mountain, seems to
have worked itself up into q frame OF mind
because Governor Leslie has commissioned
all of the Montana militia officers but Cap
tain Reynolds for the C~olonency. Now,
this is to be deplored. We take it that the
Governor and Adjutant. General Turner are
better advised than our esteemed contem-
porary. It is not at all necessary
that they should appear as the &C.
cusers Of Captain Reynolds. If the
Governor and his adjutants see fit to
withhold his commission as Colonel, they
undoubtedly have q good reason for their
action, and it remains for Captain Rey-
nolds to solicit a statement of those rea-
sons, and to court an investigation. The
fact that he is not an officer in the militia
would doubtless be waived by the exscu-
tive and his adjutant.
-
One OF the objections that
we have heard urged against him
is his lack of qualification in every
essential, and the fact thst
he voted his subalterns and himself for
himself, which is taken as conduct I'M
becoming an officer and asgentleman. II our
esteemed contemporary, the Inter Noun
tain, had such faith in bis capacity. why
did it and it's constituency not confer upon
him the honors and the e~moluments Of the
marshals Office when he courted it and
when the majority Of his ticket was elected.
We would, from local patriotic considera-
tions, like to see Captain Reynolds commits
stoned, provided of course, that he is
entitled to the honor, but in as much as the
Governor and the Adjutant General seem
to think he is not; and in as much as they
are in an official position to know facts of
which the general public are not advised,
we bow to their decision in the matter.
We are sure, that if Capt. Reynolds will, in
the right form ask for the reasons Of his
reflections they will be formulated in
such shape that he may meet them like q
soldier.
We would like to see q Butte man commits.
stoned for the colonelcy OF the First Regi-
ment, but we want a man against whom
there is not the slightest suspicion. Why
may we not waive this election, the fair
ness of whose results are challenged, and
bestow upon some other Butte man this
distinction? We have other and better
material in Colonel H. c. Kessler, q gradu-
ate from West Point, or that old and &C.
knowledged veteran of the active service,
General Chas. s. Warren. These gentle
men are worthy OF the honor beyond
question. Both are Republican, and
our esteemed evening contemporary a
find no fault with them on political grounds.
In fact political considerations do not
enter into the controversy at all. It is a
mere matter of selecting q man worthy OF
the distinction to be conferred upon hlm.
Now, in the name of the militia service of
Montana, we would have the policy Of
cant and hpyocrasy give place to that Of
common sense. We would see the best in
terests ofthe public service subserved by the
selection OF a man above suspicion OF any
wrong doing in the matter of his selection
for the distinction conferred on him.
In conclusion we would say that We are
weary of this chatter about carpet bageers.
It has nothing to do with this colonency
case. The responsibility for the rejection
OF Capt. Reynolds rests not on Governor
Leslie, but upon Adjutant General Turner
who is an old timer in the Territory and
whose loyalty to the best interests OF Mon.
Jana annot be challenged.